
Utie Pome ^oralttatt OIt|urci| 

BY 

WILLIAM A. BLAIR 



THE HOME MORAVIAN CHURCH 



''O! %vherc are kings, and empires now 
Of old that went and came? 
But, Lord! T By Church is praying yet, 
A thousand years the same." 

THE real name of this body of Christians is 
^ainitas Fratrum'' or Unity of Brethren'' 
and that ^ ^ Unity ^' is still maintained throughout 
the world in spite of ^^grim visag^d war'^ and civil 
discord, for all the different, individual churches, 
everywhere, belong to one bod}^ and are under one 
governing board. In 1749, however, the British 
Parliament recognized the body as an Ancient 
Episcopal Church,^' and, in its official Acts, called 
the members ^ ^Moravians, since Moravia as well 
as Bohemia was an ancient seat of the denomination. 

This is one of the very oldest of Protestant 
churches, a pre-Reformation church, spiritually 
descended from the Bohemian reformer and martyr, 
Jolm Hus, who was burned at the stake in 1415. 
The formal organization was accomplished in 1457, 
thirty-five years before Columbus discovered Amer- 
ica and sixty years before Luther lighted the torch 
of the Reformation. These Moravians hold no 
extended, specific creed nor formal articles of belief, 
but, in the humblest manner, simpl}^ accept the 
Bible as their rule of trust and practice,^ ^ Christ and 
Him Crucified^' as their Confession of Faith, and 
pure, simple and unaffected living for His sake, as 
their aim in life. They still stand, as they always 
have, firmly planted on their ancient tested, tried 
and sure foundation and principle — ^^In essentials, 
unity; in non-essentials, liberty, and, in all things, 
charity. ' ^ 

SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 

Desirous of finding a place where they would be 

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free from persecution, and, with tlie idea of mission 
work among the Indians, the Brethren began to look, 
with longing eyes, from Europe, across the Atlantic 
to the broad acres of the new world. Their first 
settlement in America was in Savannah, Georgia, in 
1735, forty-one years before the signing of the 
Declaration of Independence. A colony came to 
Bethlehem, Pa., in 1741, and the first settlement in 
North Carolina was made at Bethabara, (House of 
Passage), or, as it is usually called, Old Town, six 
miles northwest of Winston-Salem, in 1753. Then 
came Bethania in 1759 and Salem, (Peace), so / 
named by Count Zinzendorf, in 1766. ^ 

Being a peculiarly devout and religious people, 
almost their first concern upon arrival was for 
some proper place of worship. Indeed the cutting 
of the very first trees for the earliest house was 
accompanied by the singing of hymns, for, ''the 
groves were God's first temples,'' and morning and 
evening services were held in the dwelling so soon 
as it was under roof. The first consecrated hall of 
worship was a room in the third building, naively 
and attractively called the ''two-story house," on 
tlie northwest corner of Main and Bank Streets, 
opposite the Belo building, and now marked by a 
tablet showing the exact location. But, these peo- 
ple were already planning for more ample and 
suitable accommodations, and, at Easter time in 1770 
the corner stone for the Congregation building 
("Gemein Haus") was laid with solemn, religious 
ceremony and the meeting hall in the building was 
consecrated on November 13, 1771. Here Gover- 
nors, Congressmen, officers and dignitaries of vari- 
ous kinds, including members of the Assembly, or 
Legislature which met here in 1781 and 1782, at- 
tended service. The Brethren felt, however, that they 
could not grant the permission desired for the ses- 
sions to be held in their sacred meeting place but 
did provide rooms in a building near at hand. It 
was in this "Gemein Haus" that President George 
Washington worshipped with the brethren in 1791 

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and to it he came again to enjoy the music of its 
organ. The building, a large and imposing one, 
the most pretentious in this section of the state, 
with its stuccoed walls, dormer windows and its 
two main entrances on the w^estern front, stood 
where the main hall of the college is now located. 
The first floor of the northern portion was occupied 
by the minister and his family, and in one of these 
rooms they allowed the Govemor to make his quar- 
ters during the sessions of the Legislature, men- 
tioned above. The single sisters occupied the south- 
ern ])art and their dormitories were on the third 
floor, above. The second story, entire, was used as 
the church. It seems almost impossible for us to 
understand how that handfull of brave men and^ 
women could have even thought of erecting such a 
building; but a far greater surprise is to follow. 
What a stupendous faith, courage, vision, and, even 
daring, these fathers must have had to conceive of 
and to erect, a little later, this church, which when 
finished, was, by far, the largest, finest and most 
imposing and important structure in the entire wes- 
tern portion of North Carolina! 

THE HOME CHURCH 

'7 love Thy Church, O God! 
Her walls before Thee stand, 
Dear as the apple of Thine eye, 
And graven on Thy hand. 
Beyond my highest joy, 
I prize her heavenly ways, 
Her sweet covtmunion , solemn votes. 
Her hymns of love and praise.'' 

It nuist be remembered that when, in April 1797 
. it was solemnly decided to erect this place of wor- 
\ship there were only about one hundred and fifty 
communicant members. The corner stone was laid 
in June 1798; it was under roof in 1799 and the 
building completed, and consecrated in the presence 

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of over two thousand people on Nov. 9, 1800. The 
arehiteccnre is pure Colonial German, noted for its 
simplicity, its strength, its plain outlines, heavy 
walls and strong construction. The appentice, or 
hood, over ea(^h of the doors is unique, alluring and 
practical, as well, and has attracted wide attention 
and interest for its singular beauty, loveliness and 
charm. The dimensions of the church were forty- 
six and a half by ninety-three feet, the length now 
being one hundred and ten, as the serving rooms 
and other improvements have been added to the 
eastern end. The height of the ceiling was twenty- 
six feet. The deep and wide foundations are of 
stone, the walls three feet or more in thickness, the 
timber of hand-hewn, selected oak more than twice 
the ordinary size ; the floor was a double one with 
powdered tan bark placed between the two, and its 
seating capacity is so great that a thousand people 
at one time have partaken of Love Feast within 
its sacred walls. The brick for the walls and the 
tile for the roof were made in the meadow below j 
the college. Few buildings, of half its age, are any-| 
thing like so well preserved, but the old soapstonel 
floor in the vestibule has been, long since, worn out^ 
under the trampling of many feet. 

In 1841, the Congregation House, which had 
been used as a chapel since the completion of the 
new place of worship, was removed to be replaced 
by the Academy buildings and a small chapel was 
erected on the north side of the church. This was 
enlarged in 1881 and served its purpose until 1912 
when the greater additions and improvements were 
made. When the building was first erected, the pul- 
pit 's position was in the north, and there was a 
gallery in the east and one for the organ and choir 
in the west. In 1854 a third gallery on the south 
side was built for the special use and accomodation 
of the Academy students. In 1870 quite extensive 
changes and substitutions were made. The gallery 
in the east was removed, and the pulpit placed in 
that end of the church. A new gallery was erected 



on tlie nortli side, and tlie entire internal arrange- 
ments changed to correspond with such alterations 
as had been made. This arrangement was continued 
for many years. 

In 1912 and 1913 the interior of the church was 
changed once more into its present form with the 
pulpit again where it had been placed in the begin- 
ning. The chapel was removed and replaced by the 
Rondthaler Memorial Sunday School Building with 
rooms for the minister, choir and others. The sec- 
tion next to the church is forty-one by forty-three 
feet in size and the Sunday School part is seventy- 
five by one hundred two in dimension, containing 
the auditorium and more than forty-two rooms for 
classes as well as several for other purposes. The 
entire building stands as a fine, though inadequate 
memorial to the life, service and accomplishment 
of that great, wise, consecrated leader, so loved and 
honored, the Rt. Rev. Edward Rondthaler, D.D., 
L.L.D., who, as pastor, bishop, president of the Col- 
lege and Academy, and, in various other capacities, 
served with marked distinction and success, not 
only the church, at home and abroad, but also the 
community and the state for more than fifty years, 
a record unprecedented, unparalleled and unsur- 
passed in Moravian history. 

The chimes on the building are a memorial to 
Mr. Thomas Fleshman, a gift by his wife and daugh- 
ter; and the organ in the church was presented by 
Mrs. Hannah Siewers and Miss Gertrude Siewers. 

The octagonal tower, or cupola, from which the 
church band announces the death of members of 
the congregation, and, on festal occasions, thrills 
the air with music, which exalts each joy, allays 
each fear, shelters the old bell, which, long before 
the church was built, ^ ' called the living and mourned 
tlie dead.'^ On January 1, 1771, it was decided to 
order ^'a bell for Salem,'' and^, on April 21, 1772 
the diary quaintly says ^Hhe big bell was rung for 
tlie first time." At the beginning it was placed in 
a small toAver on the northeast corner of the Square, 

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and was regarded with greatest curiosity, wonder 
and interest. A larger tower, similarly located was 
erected in 1780, pyramidal in shape, twelve feet 
square at the base, and about the height of the 
^^Gemein Haus. The foundations were of stone 
and the cost was fifty-eight pounds, six pence, — 
each brother contributing seventeen shillings and 
each sister five. At first, the bell was regularly 
rung at 7 and 11 :30 a. m., and at 7 p. m. Later, 
it struck the hours, and remained perched in its 
tower until the church was built, and a place for 
it provided in the cupola. There is but one inscrip- 
tion on the bell and that gives only the date and 
maker ^s name, reading simply, ^^Math. Tommerup 
1771. ^ ' This Matthias Tommerup, a most celebrat- 
ed brazier and bell founder, was a Moravian brother 
from Denmark, who came to Bethlehem, Pa., in 
1761 and who, in his successful career, cast many 
interesting and historic bells including the one for 
Bethabara. It was in front of his shop in the 
Brothers House that the Liberty Bell was unloaded, 
when, in 1777 it was rushed away from Philadel- 
phia to prevent its falling into the hands of the 
British. It did not remain there, however, but was 
hidden in the cellar of Zion Church, Allentown, Pa., 
until the danger was over. 

The church clock, so closely associated with the 
])rompt and orderly life of the community, was or- 
dered from Abraham Durninger and Sons, of Herrn- 
hut, Germany in 1787, but did not arrive until 1790. 
In 1791 it was placed in the bell tower on the square, 
•and, in 1806, Louis Eberhard perfected an arrange- 
ment by which it would strike the quarter hours. 
It had been decided to put this time piece in the 
tower of the church, but, as there was lack of space 
it was placed in the gable, as planned originally, 
Avhere it still keeps time, ever reminding us that, 

^^Onr lifers a clock, and every gasp of breath 
Brings forth a tvarning grief 'till time shall 
strike a death''. 



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In 1799 the weather vane and ball were ordered. 
The vane was to be made in Nazareth, Pa., and 
the figures, '^800'' were to be cut in the tail. The 
ball was to be made in Lititz, and Benade in Naza- 
reth was to cover with gold leaf and varnish or 
lacquer it. The vane itself is five feet long and 
the tail thirteen inches wide. The figures cut in 
it are each six inches high. The gilt ball is six 
feet, six and a half inches in circumference one way 
and seven feet five inches the other. The star is 
twelve inches wide and ninety-eight feet above the 
sidewalk. In 1892 the ball was taken down and 
freshly gilded, and it was ascertained that it could 
hold forty-three gallons of water. 

The beautiful, artistic and heavy hand rails at 
tlie front steps are a local production, made and 
presented by Christopher Vogler. It is said that 
the material is Norway iron which does not oxidize 
v/hen it comes in contact with air or water, and, 
hence, never rusts. 

The church was originally lighted with candles. 
On May 27, 1800, five chandeliers were ordered, 
each with six arms^ and so arranged that the can- 
dles were four inches, one from another. The small 
I'osette holding the candles was painted yellow and 
the remainder of the chandelier was colored blue. 
Weights were arranged in the loft so that the lights 
could be raised or lowered as desired. The entire 
outfit has been carefully preserved and may be seen 
in the museum of the Wachovia Historical Society, 
together with the first pulpit, parts of the old 
church organ, and a host of other rare and interest- 
ing relics. Kerosene lamps succeeded the candles, 
and these, in turn, gave way to gas in 1857. 

At first there was no heating arrangement, and, 
consequently shawls, cloaks, blankets, overcoats 
and ^^foot warmers'' were in demand during the 
winter season. 

THE WINDOWS 

ATnny ])ersons are inspired and deeply touched ])y 

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the series of ten rich windows, portraying and re- 
vealing, in pious art, the life and ministrations of 
the Saviour. 

The subjects are as follows: The Nativity; The 
Flight Into Egypt; The Boy Jesus; In The Temple; 
Christ And The Children; Christ Knocking At The 
Door; Jesus, The Good Shepherd; Christ In Gethse- 
mane; The Crucifixion; The Resurrection; and The 
Ascension. Look at Gethsemane and the Cruci- 
fixion. Does not a dark, sombre, depressing, shad- 
owy light seem to fall upon them. Now view, 
the Resurrection and the Ascension. Is there not 
about them a brilliant, gorgeous glory, as if Heaven 
face, in favor, beamed upon them? It merely hap- 
pened so, without arrangement, design or plan. Each 
window, is of course, hallowed and dedicated to the 
glory of God, but, in recognition of marked, out- 
standing service to the Church, it was deemed ap- 
l^ropriate also, to do honor to the following leaders 
of sterling character, and invaluable worth. John 
Hus (1369-1415) Reformer before the Reforma- 
tion, ^ ^ Father of the Unitas Fratrum ; Bishop Augus- 
tus Gottlieb Spangenberg, scholar, author, practical 
business man who led the movement to Wachovia 
and selected its site; Bishop John Amos Comenius, 
writer, philosopher, father of modern education, 
whose faith helped bind together the ancient and 
renewed Church ; Bishop Count Nicholas Lewis Zin- 
zendorf, nobleman, protector, leader and patron 
saint. Rev. Frederick William von Marshall, of ex- 
ceptional talent, Senior Civilis'^ and founder of 
Salem; Leonard Dobar and David Nitchmann, first 
missionaries to the heathen and their successors; 
Bishop Christian Frederick Gregor, father of Mora- 
vian music, composer, hymnologist and compiler of 
a hymn book used for a hundred years. Bishop John 
Jacob Van Vleck, educator, President of the Confer- 
ence, and Bishop William Henry Van Vleck, elo- 
quent and beloved, both pastors of the Home Church ; 
Bishop Emil Adolphus deSchweinitz who, in addition 
to other services with consummate and almost un- 



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eaiiny skill handled the temporal affairs of the Unity 
during the tense and trying period of the Civil War. 
Bishop George Frederick Balmson who, with rare 
talent and tact, ably carried on through the dark, 
discouraging years following 1863. 

GOD'S ACRE AND THE EASTER SERVICE. 

The site for the beautiful and unique graveyard 
— ^ ^ God ^s Acre ' ' — where the Easter morning service 
is held w^as selected April 12, 1766, and was in the 
upper part of the present enclosure, but, when it 
Avas decided to place the Square one block lower 
down than had been originally planned, *^ God's 
Acre'' was changed accordingly^, as may be seen 
from the location of the oldest graves. The avenue 
was carefully laid out and cedar trees planted on 
either side, in the year 1770. The ground was con- 
secrated, and the first body, that of John Birkhead, 
one of the eight men who first came to the settle- 
ment, was interred June 7, 1771. The first Easter 
service with the Liturgy was held this same year, 
but as at that date, no body had been buried in the 
graveyard, the exercises wei^e conducted in the hall. 

A striking feature of the gravey^ard is its re- 
cumbent stones, symbolizing the democracy of 
death'** and making it impossible to distinguish be- 
tween the graves of rich and poor. The burial of 
members according to choirs'' or station in life 
rather than families is another distinguishing fea- 
ture, carrying out the choir system" which was 
introduced into the congregation for the better 
spiritual care of the membership. 

GROWTH OF MORAVIANDOM. 

The ^^Old Home Church," as it is familiarly 
called, has come in the course of the years to be a 
real mother" church, with seven others and two 
chapels in the Winston-Salem community, wit- 
nessing to her zeal in extending the cause of the 
Kingdom at home. And in the Province, beyond 
tlie limits of the city, there are thirty-four other 

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Moravian congregations. The communicant mem- 
l)ership of the Home Church alone is nearly fifteen 
hundred, and, in the Province, the total member- 
ship, including children, is in excess of twelve thou- 
sand. 

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHURCH MUSIC. 

Church music of the very best, finest and high- 
est class, music that wakes the soul and lifts it 
liigh ^ ' has been strongly featured by the Moravians. 
From the Home Churchy especially, an influence has 
gone forth into the churches of the Province and 
i'ar beyond, calling for the elevation of church 
music to its highest plane, and discouraging the 
cheap and shallow variety of words and music 
which has sought to make itself popular in recent 
years. In addition to the usual lines of musical 
effort in the local church, strong emphasis has been 
laid upon the Church Band, which enlists boys and 
men in the service and makes possible such soul- 
stirring and uplifting music as that which thrills 
the thousands of Easter-worshippers year after 
year. Approval is given to the best grade of the 
so-called gospel song,'' but the stately and more 
worshipful and dignified chorale is always given 
the preference. 

FOND MEMORIES AND UPLIFTING 
INFLUENCES. 

About this loved and venerable shrine'' as a 
precious inheritance for many souls, a thousand 
fond, sweet and tender traditions, memories and 
recollections, cluster in enchanting colors, clothing 
it with a splendor of beauty, grandeur, glor}^, un- 
surpassed and unexcelled. Here the Word is preach- 
ed ^Mn doctrine incorrupt, in language plain." Here 
many a one has given heart and life to God and 
some have heard a clear, compelling, clarion call to 
pulpit or to mission field. Here the great organ 
swells with concord of sweet sounds," and ^^song 

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on its mighty pinions, takes every living soul and 
lifts it gently to the heaven above. Here little chil- 
dren are presented and received in baptismal sacra- 
ment and older ones are confirmed in the most holy 
faith. Here the cherished Love Feast, unspeakably 
rich in simplicity, dignity and grace, kindles a 
fine feeling of fellowship, equality, unison and 
love, and, under the spell of grand, majestic stately 
music, brings comfort, blessing, joy and peace. Hero 
faithful believers meet about the table of their 
Lord to partake of that grand, impressive sacrament, 
where 

^^They eat, they drink, and, in Communion 
sweet 

Quaff immortality and joy," 

Here fond husbands and fair and faithful wives 
have promised to care for, love and honor, to cherish 
and protect, so long as both shall live. Here, when 
comes the strange and stately dignity of death, — the 
great adventure, — are performed the last sad funeral 
rites for those, the ^Svhite sails of whose souls have 
rounded the last promontory'^ and have passed 

"0#/ of the storm of the doing 
Into the peace of the done." 

Add to each of these scenes the fond and happy 
memory of all the joyous Christmas services, to- 
gether with the sweet solemnities of the glad Easter 
day with its grand, triumphant note of a glorious 
resurrection and a fond reunion through faith in 
the risen Lord, and, at least, the outlines of the 
picture begin to develop and to appear. 

'^When once thy foot enters the church, be bare, 
God is more there than thou; for thou art there 
Only hy His permission. Then beware 
And fnake thyself all reverence and fear." 



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UNION REPUBLICAN PRINT 



